Drive-chain.



NTED STATES UFFCE.

CHARLES D. SEEBERGER, GF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

f; 5.1".' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, i915.

.ppnleziten lei .annazy 3, 1911, Serial No. 600,614. Renewed November 16, 1914. Serial No. 872497.

To 'wim/rz. t may concern.'

Be 1t known that l. CHARLES D. Srmnenonn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York. in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive- Chains, of which the foliowing is a speeilication. referente being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and improved features .in driving chains for traveling convey@ or carriers adapted to transport passengers and freight7 and which are especially designed for sach devices travel on an incline between different levels or floors in the forni of moving stairways, though they may be employed in Carriers for horizontal runs.

The objeets of the invention are rto provide certainimprovements in the drive. linkage for such carriers to prolong the life of the linksby avoiding the wearing flat of the pins or teeth and taking all the wear at one line, and to make the articulations permanent and proof against meddlers.

lVith these and other objects in view as will appear from the detailed description, the invention con ts in the arrangements and organizations of parts hereinafter partieularlj'vl described and then stated in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the Several features of the present inventonz-Figure 1 'is -of the bushing of a. view part-ly in section and partly in side elevation of a section of linkage for a travcling: carrier or eonveyer and exemplifving the features of mv present invention; Fig. 2 is a top view et the parts shoe-'nin Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4. und 5 are side views ol the several si(le-l' ars constituting the side members of the links; Fig. 3 is adctail sectiornil view of one ot.' the bushings: Fig. 7 is an end ,view rig. t5: Figs. 5), and '10 are. sectional views on the correspondingly numbered seetion lines oi" Fig. 1; and Fig. 11 is a detail view partly in section of one of the ixed cross-rods or pins; Fig, 12 is a similar view of one of the hollow bushings of the axles or tlu'ougli-rods; Fig. 13 is an ond view of' the bushing of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a detail view partlv in s'eeton of one of the larger hollow bushings of the axles; Fig. 1:i`is an end view of the bushing of Fig. 14; Fig. 1G is a sectional View of one of the rollers of the axles and cross-pins; Fig. 1T is au end view of the roller of Fig. 1G; Fig. 18 is a detail view partly in section ot' one of the nuts, and Fig. 19 is a side view of one of the headed bolts.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 2O indieates a series of through-rods or axles to wliieh a series of transporting sections of the rarrier are suitably connecte-d, these sections being ijn'e'ferably in the forni ol steps each consisting of suitable tread and riser and running ou tracks supported upon a suitable frame, these several parts being of suitable form and arrangement as now well understood in the art and boingr driven in unison by suitable driving mechanism engaging the rack links cmineetinj,r the axles or through-rods.

The conveyer or carrier is adapted to travel in upper and lower legs or runs` and when.extendingr between different levels or floors is preferably arranged so that the steps or sections are in step-like formation on the incline and with their treadsurfaees horizontal at each landing.

The links consist of sidenicxubers and cross members forming the teeth for the driving wheel. The sidebars or shroud-plates 2l and Q2 are of different lengths for alternate links.l the former -2l being'prefcrably of a length to provide six passages or holesand the former four passages spaced equi-distant apart l' rom their centers. The articulating side-bars or pivot-plates 2-5 are uniform with the others but are of a length to provide three passages spaced the salue distance between their centers as the passages in the other bars or plates. The adjacent ends of the bars or plates 21 and are eonneet-ed by these .articulating or pivot-plates Q3, the. plates 2.1 and 2Q being; alternately arA ranged so that the through rods or axles will be equally spaced apart, it heling1r obvious that the plates Q53 connected to the ends of the plates 2.2 will space the several axles the same distance apart as shown in Figs. l andl 9.

The cross-members providing the rack teeth with which a suitable driving sprocket or` pinion (not shown) engages are in the formof rollers 24, preferably of hardened steeh rotatably mounted between the sid- 2l the rollers 24 are rotatably supported upon fixed cross rods or pins Z5 having a reduced portion /6 forming a shoulder at each end, the reduced portions being seated in the perferations in the side bars Z1, this construction being shown in detail. in Fig. 9. 'lhe rollers Zi associated with the side bars 22 are mounted upenlixed hollow rods or pins or bushings 2 having a reduced portion 28 forming a shoulder at each end, the reduced portions being seated in the perforations in the side plates 22, this construction being shown in detail in Figs. (i and 7, the

ends of the reduced portions being iush with the outer faces of the plates The articulating side hars,I or pivot plates 23 are connected to the side Lars Q9. by means of headed pins or bolts` 29 passing through the bores of the fixed bushings 2T and engaging corresponding nuts 30, the nuts being preferably somewhat elongated and extended to pass into the bores et' the bushings and of the saine size as the body ot' the bolt in order to provide corresponding bearings for the perftrations or openings in the articulating side bars 23 and( the bolts having reduced ends or shanlvs 3l adapted to have screw threaded engagement with the bores of the nuts and of sullicient length to pass therethrough when the parts are assembled as shown in liig. 7 to be upset or headed over as at 32 to lock the parts together. The heads ol the nuts and bolts are preferably countersunk in the bars 23. lThe articulating side bars or pivot plates 23 are connected to the through reds or axles 20 and serve to flexibly connect the link members. Each axle or through-rod is surrounded with a fixed hollow bushing 33 having a reduced vportion 3l forming a shoulder at each end, the reduced ends entering the perforations openings at or near the ends of the pivot plates 23, and the ends being Hush with the outer faces of these plates. Each bushing' 33 is surrounded by an associated larger hollow bushing 35 having a reduced portion 3G `forming a shoulder at -iach end, and the. reduced portions serving as bearings 'for the side Lars 21, and the ends of the reduced portions 3G of the bushings are flush with the outer faces of the links 21. and the bushings 35 receive the associated rollers :-t. The construction and arrangement of these several parts is shown in detail in Fig. S. The rods or pins '.45 and the. bushngs LT. 33, and 35 are of hardened steel and are iixed in piave in their associated side bars or plates to prevent their rotation and to connect the parts together; this mayy be de ne by 'any suitable means. for examrle the reduced ends f the pms and bushings may be knurled as shown in Figs. 9, lt) and 1'2, and assembled in the openings on their corre- `,ending side-plates or links under pressure, or the reduced ends of the pins and bushings may be provided Vith a fiat face or portion engaging a correspondingly shaped hele in the side bars, or the pants may be riveted, any suitable means to prevent these parts from turning in their plates being within the purview of my invention. lfhe articulating side bars are connected to the outer faces of the side bars at two points as shown in Figs. l and `Z-,and consequently the bolts and nuts of these connections hold the projecting ends of the Lars :25 in alinenientl with the bars 22.

From the disclosure it is apparent that the drive linkage is made up of alternate lengths of simple and compound links, the former being' composed of the side bars Z1 and their cross-members` and the latter being composed of the side bars 2". and 23 and their cross-members, and that the bars 23 of the compound links form the articulating or pivot members between the two sets of links by means of their bushings 33 rotating on the through-rods upon which the simple links also swing or turn bv their bushings 35 rotating freely on the bushings 33, as is clear from Fig. 8. 'lhis provides the necessary flexibility for the lim-:age to pass the curves in a complete circuit ot' travel of the carrier.

The form and size of various parts may of course be changed and varied with-in the scope of my invention: for example, the

parts connecting the members of the compound links may be split-fais shown at l41 ig. l-t or the bolts may be of uniform size throughout their lengths andmreceive ordinary nuts' on their ends j and other changes may be made in the several parts without 'departing from the purview of in invention. The linkage may of course be associated with its carrier in an y suitable manner` as a single length may be employed at the. center of the through-rods or a length may be disposed at each end of the rods. r1`he links may be provided with oil holes for lubrication as indicated at it which Amay be supplied by any suitable means, the oil perforations of course extending to the end openings in which the axles or cixnnecting members are located.

Having described my invention, I claim 1.111 a. drive-linkage, alternate simple and compound links ot' equal length. each simple link composed of side bars having a through-rod in each end and a series ot" intern'iediate cross-members.and each oompound link composed ot' side bars havingv cross-members and pivot plates rigid on/the cross-members and projecting in pairsV beuyoud the ends ot' the side bars to pivotally receive the through-rods or' adjacent simple links.

In drive-linkage, alternate simple and compound links, each simple link composed lll. am tlm bolts and projef: 'mg re ely beyflmi the; pgmsite ends i the "fit tum nma.

Si ln a flrivvfchan link, a pair of side Durs having a :series: of oppoiete perforutons, ..0 lmllups d in the perfuratlons, rollers hulls pusl'eglzlg through alle mn/)ml prm uf silla *il laf, xs nl {mc-ll und of @de ends All am S5 l Era nml om lmxs having; ('.1'0sslmr b-ejngg; {inmate/1l on tlm 21 h'llm' un auch. roel and 95 allunga, n plurality of equally les; alfm'mxte simple and @sur auch simple lnk mpgwfl of M0112'. 'l fl' -lux'age, n link compnsed nf long sid@ bays having throughlowvlj.' mmmtefl in its ends and ntermiv (':wlw-p und n link cmnposed of reilivffj, Short s Y, @uns mul mail bars huw pn the enllbm's llang plvoted wils, und rallier un each S.. li

me inicmmllf blushing@ the bushings of the end bars, and rollers on 15. In drive-linkage, a series of simple'm` links each having tivo side bars having a series of opposite perforations, bushings fixed in the yend perfor-ations, a series of cross pins each having a reduced portion forming a. shoulder at each end and secured in the intermediate perforations in the bars, a series of compound links each composed of a pair of side bars provided with opposite perforations and having bushings fixed therein and two pairs of end bars provided with corresponding perferations, bolts passing through the last. named bushings and cinnecting the bars of the compound links, the end perforations of the end bars having bushings freely mounted in the bushings of the simple links, through-rods in the bushings and pins.

16. In drive-linkage, a Series of simple linkseach having two side bars having series of opposite perforations, bushings fixed in the. end perforaticns, a series of cross pins each h-aving a reduced portion forming a shoulder at each end and secured in the intermediate perforations in the bars, a'series of compound links each composed of a pair of side bars provided with bush ings iixed in opposite perfor-ations therein '1nd two pairs of end bars provided with corresponding perforations, t\vo-part bolts passing through the last named bushings and connecting the bars of the compound links, the end perforations of the end bars having bushings articulated with the bushings of the simple links, through-rods in the articulated bushings, and rollers on the bushings and pins.

17. A system of linkage, comprising a plurality of pairs of shrouds of different fixed lengths, and pairs of end-plates and through-rcds flexibly jointing the shrouds.

18. A s'stem of linkage comprising a plurality of pairs of shroads oi different ixed lengths having a plurality of crossmembers, and pairs of endrplates and through-rods liexibly jointing the shrouds.

19. A system of linkage comprising a plurality of pairs of shrouds of dilfei'ent fixed lengths having a plurality of roller cross-members. and pairs of end-plates and through-rods iexibly jointing the shroufls.

In testimony whereof I aiix lnysignature in presence of tivo witnesses.

CHARLES D. SEEBERGER. lllitnesses:

E. I. AUs'rnLL, R. H. Ferrini. 

